Courier

Media Credit: Annalisa Graham Director of Soccer Operations Cherif Zein.

Starting his thirty-fourth year as a soccer coach, Cherif Zein reflects on all the things he has learned about the world and the sport as a whole. Zein has watched his students grow to become great players under his coaching over the years; he has learned just as much from them as they have learned from him.

Coach Zein is very involved within the soccer community. Not only does he coach for PCC, but he also has been coaching a number of high school teams in the surrounding area. Zein also runs his own club soccer team, one of 250 in southern California, called CZElite. This club includes 15 teams playing at a very high level of skill.

Zein graduated from UCLA in 1975 as a Spanish major and with a lot of soccer playing already under his belt. He had played on the university's NCAA finals team and had also played semi pro in other leagues. He learned a lot of leadership skills, which helped him with coaching from being a teacher's assistant while in college. He learned to have a strong presence in front of other people at a young age, which helped him gain confidence.

His first coaching job came unexpectedly after his graduation from college.

"I really believe angels are among us," said Zein. He had been at home helping out his mother after his father's death when there was a knock on his door. From that came an opportunity rarely given to 21-year-olds right out of college.

Zein was asked to help coach children from all different backgrounds who spoke all different languages in Glendale. He coached one successful summer tournament and knew he had found what he wanted to make his career. He then got a job coaching high school students in the heart of Los Angeles.

Zein loves working with the students; he says they keep him young. When working with the younger children, he loves to see their skills develop on the field. He finds joy in being a part of their young lives and education, teaching them qualities they can always use.

"We call him 'The King' with the younger kids," said friend and fellow coach Edgar Manvelyan.

Zein and Manvelyan have known each other for 13 years and have been coaching high school, college, and CZElite teams for nine years. Manvelyan said Zein was the best youth coach he has met. He said Zein has a strong personality, is very energetic and very disciplined. "He gets everything out of a kid on the field," said Manvelyan.

"Coach Zein teaches the kids a lifestyle of discipine," said Janet Eaton, who has known Zein for 20 years and has been working with him for 17. Eaton said that when the athletes are juggling soccer and school, Zein teaches them to budget their time. Eaton's children were coached by Zein and he made them very goal-oriented, she said.

With the older children, Zein finds it is harder to develop them mentally, but he loves the experience of meeting someone new. "Meeting a new person in life is beautiful, I enjoy that experience," said Zein.

He said that many of his former players come back and share their experiences with him after many years.

Some of his former students have even started bringing their children for him to coach and the third generation is just around the corner.

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